The Lost Witness

When someone ascends to the height of a profession, others are often compared to them, some deservidly, some not. With "The Lost Witness," Ellis has been compared to Michael Connelly and I believe that the comparison is just. In this story, Lena Gamble, L.A. detective is given a case of a dismembered body found in a dumpster. Lena is disliked by her superiors due to the way she handled a prior case in which a police officer was involved. As a result, for the last six months, she has been doing administrative work. Now she wonders if she is being set up. As she investigates the murder, she receives information identifying the Jane Doe as Jennifer McBride. However, when she attempts to notify next of kin, she learns that McBride has been dead for over two years. Now Lena must find out who the Jane Doe is and why she was using another woman's identity. The hunt for the killers goes through various trails, all the while, providing excellent tension. Lena discovers that there is corruption and deceit within her department and she may be the next target of those attempting to keep the facts in the case from going public. The author provides some well thought plot twists and gives his readers an original story. The manner in which the mystery is solved was powerfully done. Lena is fine protagonist, ready to stand alone if necessary to get to the bottom of the case. I was entertained by this novel and recommend it strongly.

LAPD Robbery-Homicide Division rookie detective Lena Gamble did well on her first case that reminded her of her brother's murder (see CITY OF FIRE), but she is taken aback when her supervisor, Lieutenant Frank Barrera assigns her to a visible nasty case. Someone left a dismembered female corpse inside a Hollywood a dumpster. The police inquiry into the Jane Doe brutal murder went nowhere until an unknown apparent witness leaves the cops with the victim's driver's license and a thumb drive displaying the kidnapping. Dedicated Lena follows the clues while her superiors follow her. When she begins to scrutinize icons, her boss warns her to back away quietly. Lena refuses continuing her investigation into two men with ACCESS TO POWER; the son of a pharmaceutical company CEO owner and a doctor who knew the victim while seeking the unknown LOST WITNESS who remains in hiding even as the cop fears the killer will cone after this key person. THE LOST WITNESS is an excellent police procedural filled with reasonable twists that will have the audience enthralled with what comes next. The investigation is superb as the obstinate dedicated Lena gambles her career and perhaps her life to finding the anonymous witness and subsequently the vicious killer. Fans will appreciate Robert Ellis' fine look at Hollywood through the lens of murder. Harriet Klausner

Lena has become the female Harry Bosch! This book was exciting, with several twists I didn't expect. Robert Ellis is an excellent writer. I wasn't sure till near the end who was on the right side of the law.

Robert Ellis's The Lost Witness is a riveting sequel to City of Fire, which introduced his intriguing protagonist L.A.P.D. Detective Lena Gamble. In Lost Witness, Gamble is still recovering from her earlier case when a horrific new murder case is thrust on her by the Chief of Police. I have never read a more puzzling and convoluted crime thriller. I literally could not put the book down until I reached the last page. In addition to Ellis's masterful use of suspense and his vast knowledge of police procedures, he peppers the action with delightful and cutting social commentary: on technology, on political corruption, on environmental degradation, and, central to the plot, on the evils of the pharmaceutical industry. These insightful jabs at modern society set Ellis apart as a deeply insightful writer who also knows how to spin a hell of a good story.